Inside Psychology
VCU College of Humanities & Sciences

Inside Psychology is part of a series of brochures relating VCU majors to occupational fields. The information in this pamphlet can help you with planning your education and career.

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. Psychologists study a variety of topics, including mental ability, perception, development, individual differences, and abnormal behavior. Major sub-branches of psychology include social, industrial, developmental, biological, counseling, and clinical areas. Students may pursue a B.S. in psychology at VCU. The curriculum emphasizes substantive knowledge of psychology as a natural and social science, while allowing some flexibility in selection of psychology major courses within these areas.

Through the general education requirements, taken in the freshman and sophomore years, students typically develop the following skills:

• curiosity and intellectual ability to ask the right questions - to think critically.
• interpersonal skills to understand and influence others.
• ability to communicate, in writing and orally, along with the ability to analyze and synthesize information.
• a breadth of background from the sciences, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities.
• a sense of ethics that will not be compromised by immediate personal gain or prejudice.

The skills typically developed by psychology majors include the following:

• career planning skills
• ability to interpret and explain data and statistics
• proficiency in reading and writing
• understanding of testing and measurement

Sample courses taken by psychology majors include the following:

• Applications of Statistics
• Principles of Tests and Measurement
• Experimental Methods
• Psychology of Adolescence
• Industrial Psychology
• Stress and its Management
• Personality and Behavior of the African-American
• Introduction to the Helping Relationship
• Group Dynamics
• Social Psychology
• Psychology of the Abnormal
• Psychology of Women

To become more marketable:

• Apply for the Honors in Psychology program.
• Take electives related to your career goals (for example, in personnel, management, criminal justice, or mass communications) or minor in a supporting field such as biology, writing or sociology.
• Arrange to take Human Services Field Work through the department, participate in a research internship, or get a part-time job in your field.
• Enroll in the Cooperative Education program to gain valuable work experience.
• Participate in, and take on leadership roles in, extracurricular activities.

Students who do not wish to pursue graduate study in psychology may, with appropriate experience (see above), find employment in some of the following areas:

• Advertising Worker
• Bank Officer
• Child Care Worker
• Employment Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Mental Health Worker
• Personnel Interviewer
• Public Relations Specialist
• Retail Management Trainee
• Sales Representative

Students wishing to have careers as psychologists in universities or private practice pursue graduate degrees in psychology. Psychology majors have also gone on for graduate work in areas such as health science, business, law, and social work. Students interested in teaching (grades K-12) participate in VCU's five-year teacher education program.

Further information is available at University Career Center (University Student Commons, first floor) or through the department:

Department of Psychology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Thurston House, 808 W. Franklin St.
PO Box 842018
Richmond VA 23284-2018

804-828-1193

This brochure is published by the VCU Career Development Council in cooperation with academic departments.

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